for watching. world news is up next. tonight, fight night. the vice presidential contenders arrive in kentucky, ready to square off. can joe biden stop the republican surge? will paul ryan hold his own against the seasoned pro? we're behind the scenes with both teams as they gear up for the showdown. bouncing back. the housing market is heating up. 73 offers on this one house alone. is the comeback heading for your town? dangerous new hoax. pranksters sending s.w.a.t. teams to people's homes in the middle of the night. hundreds of families targeted. >> i want -- give me $10,000 and a police cruiser up front or i'm going to kill the rest of the hostages in 30 minutes. and, coming home. a great new day for our friend, robin roberts, ready to get stronger and celebrating

tonight. >> there is no place like home! good evening. as we come on the air, vice president biden and his opponent, congressman paul ryan, are preparing to take their seats at this table and begin the big debate. there it is. and our very own martha raddatz will be moderating, sitting across from them at that table. she's our senior foreign affairs correspondent, former white house correspondent. and the two men have been preparing in marathon practice sessions, behind closed doors for days. 26 days now to go before americans get to the polls. "your voice, your vote." and the race has been tightening. the pressure is on. and our team is right there on the ground in danville, kentucky, and abc's jake tapper is going to start us off tonight. jake? >> reporter: good evening, diane.

well, first, let's talk about the stagecraft. vice president biden will be coming on stage from that side. congressman ryan from the other. our own martha raddatz, of course, moderates in the middle seat. the pressure is on. the vice president, not to cede any of the energy or desire to his opponent as president obama seemed to do last week. their campaigns are relishing the spotlight. vice president biden's team sent out these photos of him practicing on a mock set in a delaware hotel, where congressman chris van hollen has played biden's opponent, congressman paul ryan, in practice debates. ryan has been in debate camp with top republican lawyer, ted olson, playing the vice president. and now, practice time is over. >> the time to memorize your answers or practice a pivot and attack or a punch and counter punch is over. by this point, you are trying to get to that happy place, the happy warrior. you are usually with the family. >> reporter: ryan today tweeted

this photo of him and his 7-year-old son, sam, writing, "great pep talk from one of my most trusted advisers." ryan's challenge? to be seen as credible and keep romney's momentum going. in most battleground states, the race is essentially tied, and obama's lead in ohio appears to be narrowing. ryan has only previously participated in around eight debates for his congressional seat. the vice president has run for president twice, debating 16 times, plus squaring off against sarah palin for the gig he has now. >> can i call you joe? >> reporter: biden has been cramming, studying ryan's positions and the book, "young guns" that the congressman co-wrote, looking for fodder. >> i just want to make sure when i say these things that i don't have the congressman, "no, no, no, i don't have that position." >> reporter: though he is known for gaffes and verbosity, the structure of the debates seems to help the vice president, forcing him to be concise and stick to script. >> he's fast on the cuff. he's a witty guy. he knows who he is and he's been doing this for 40 years.

>> reporter: in addition to watching clips of the vice president's many debates, ryan has studied clips of the moderator, abc news senior foreign affairs correspondent, martha raddatz. the congressman tweeted late this afternoon, "let's get this done!" congressman ryan has been in the house of representatives for seven terms but he's asked that he be addressed this evening as mr. ryan, the campaign says that's because it's shorter. romney will be watching the debate from his hotel room in asheville, north carolina. we're told that president obama will be watching the festivities from air force one, as he flies from miami back to the white house. we, of course, will be watching it right here, all night, diane, ringside. >> we sure will, jake. mr. ryan. well, coming up, as we've been saying, these are two extraordinary opponents representing two different generations. biden, 69, ryan, 42. for the first time in history, though, both men are catholic. and they bring two very come compelling stories to the stage. abc's david muir tells us about that. david?

>> reporter: great to see you, diane, from kentucky tonight. let me show you how they're framing the debate. this poster is up all over the place. thrill in the ville. and as you point out, these two men will be sparring over very different policies tonight, but as we discovered today, they actually have quite a bit in common. their political paths both began when they were young. joe biden, 29, when elected to the senate. paul ryan, 28, when he went to congress. both catholic, both celebrate their roots of blue collar america. joe biden grew up in a tight-knit family, what he called the runt of the litter. played college football. and when his grades suffered, his father stepped in. >> you've got to be a college man, joey. and i asked, why is this so important? he never went to college. and he said, they can never take that from you. >> reporter: days before he was to be sworn in as that young senator, his wife and 18-month-old daughter were killed in a car accident. their two young boys, badly injured, survived. he was sworn in at his son's bedside. >> we can always get another senator, but they can't get another father.

>> reporter: four years ago, on the debate stage, biden spoke of the tragedy. >> the notion that somehow, because i'm a man, i don't know what it's like to raise two kids alone, i know what it's like to have a child you're not sure is going -- is going to make it. i understand. i understand. >> reporter: paul ryan, a family man, too. three children with his wife. he proposed to his wife while fly fishing in wisconsin. he still lives a block from the house he grew up in. >> my veins run with cheese, bratwurst and a little spot of miller. >> reporter: back in high school, classmates voting him prom king. they also voted him biggest brown noser. but it was what he faced away from school that shaped the young man. at 16, he found his father dead of a heart attack. at 55. his grandfather died of a heart attack at a 57. his great-grandfather, in his 50s, too. ryan himself, now, a fitness buff, working out, leading p-90s

classes, and these pictures posted by "time" magazine. taken for a profile on his fiscal discipline, too. a rising republican star, he's known for his controversial budget. >> how do you feel about being made the boogeyman about this budget business? >> you know, i don't really think about it. i sleep well at night. >> reporter: he probably will sleep well once he gets through this debate, as well, diane. i wanted to show you the audience here, the rows behind the stage. we do know that paul ryan's wife will be here, his mother will be here, as well. dr. jill biden, the wife of the vice president, expected to be here, with his three children, as well, here tonight. and one member, of course, of our family we keep talking about, martha raddatz, we all had lunch with her today, she is in great spirits and she said she's ready for the task. >> all right. david, great to see you there in the debate hall tonight. we'll be joining you soon. i want to bring in co-anchor of "good morning america," anchor of "this week," george stephanopoulos. so, george, can a vice president ever turn the course of a campaign in a debate? >> reporter: it's never happened before, diane, but tonight could be the night because of the timing.

coming off that big win by romney in the debate last week, paul ryan, if he can get a second clear win for the republicans, could transform this race. it's been tightened so far, hasn't been completely transformed. a big win tonight could do that. >> so, tell us what to watch for. what's the a-game for each of those two men? >> reporter: the a-game for paul ryan is two things. we know he's good with numbers. he's got to make a human connection tonight. the other big thing he wants to do is try to force a mistake out of joe biden. we know he's made them in the past, but joe biden has not made them in debates. the big goal for biden is to show democrats out in the country, this ticket still has fight in them. that's what he's got to do. >> well, you and i will be right here, hope all of you at home will be joining us, with the entire abc news political team for the big event, one-on-one, the candidates debate. tonight at 9:00 p.m., 6:00 pacific. our friend and colleague, as we've been saying, martha raddatz moderating and we sure look forward to having you with us. and now, we move onto a big headline for homeowners. we learned today that

foreclosures have taken a sudden nose dive. the number of homeowners filing for foreclosure has dropped to a five-year low, down 7% in a month. 16% in one year. and also tonight, strong signs people are ready to buy new homes. so, the bidding wars are breaking out. is this the comeback we've been waiting for? here's abc's cecilia vega. >> reporter: oneita parker knows if this is the home for her, she better make an offer. these days, houses are selling and they are selling fast. >> we've looked at at least, i want to say, like, 30 properties. >> reporter: so many you can't even remember? >> yeah. there's like a bidding war going on. >> reporter: that's right -- bidding wars. in some pockets of the country. >> kitchen. >> reporter: small kitchen. >> pretty much every listing of mine since the beginning of the year has had multiple offers. >> reporter: like 73 bids on this california house alone. it sold in one week for nearly double the asking price. this three-bedroom, two-bathroom

house in a los angeles suburb has only been on the market for a couple of hours and already, take a look at this. dozens of realtors have stopped by to scope out this property for their hungry clients. so, what's behind this sudden crush? fewer houses for sale. compared to just a year ago, foreclosures are down that 16%. the last time the numbers were this low was before the recession hit. those days of all those cheap homes driving down prices are ending. >> we've clearly hit the bottom, and i think that's what everybody has been waiting for. >> reporter: but there's still a long way to go. many aren't moving because they owe too much on their mortgage and can't afford to sell at these prices. six years ago, the median home price was about $230,000. today, it's just above $187,000. whether oneita parker wins this bidding war or not -- are you going to put a bid on this one? >> most likely, yeah. >> reporter: her eagerness to buy is a good sign for homeowners everywhere. cecilia vega, abc news, los angeles.

and now, we have a surprising warning about a staple in a lot of american homes. kellogg's mini-wheats. nearly 3 million boxes being recalled tonight because of metal, tiny bits of metal, in the cereal. the recall includes both unfrosted mini-wheats and the original frosted version. kellogg's blames the problem at one of their manufacturing plants. and you can go to abcnews.com for all the details. and there is something new tonight in the ongoing story of that meningitis outbreak. the cases are not just growing, but leaping. 170 cases now in 11 states, at least 14 people have died and 13,000 people are at risk. most of the infections, still traced to steroid shots for back pain. all manufactured at that one plant in massachusetts. but today, the cdc warned they are looking at the possibility

that steroid shots for pain in the joints in knees and shoulders, could also be putting patients at risk. and last night, we told you about the 14-year-old girl in pakistan that stood up against the taliban so that girls could go to school. they shot her in the head, she is still in critical condition. but this one young heroine has inspired a growing movement in pakistan to unite against the taliban and say, finally, enough is enough. here's abc's muhammad lila. >> reporter: at candlelit vigils, she's an icon of hope. a courageous young girl now fighting for her life in a military hospital. >> malala can be anybody's child. it is not that this thing will stop at one person. >> reporter: 14-year-old malala yousufzai was shot and nearly killed on her school bus, targeted by the taliban. her only crime, demanding the right for girls to go to school, something the taliban oppose.

the attack has shaken the country, from ordinary pakistanis right to the highest levels of power. even the head of the country's powerful army visited her in the hospital, saying, "we refuse to bow before terror." this woman fights for women's rights. we spoke to her with malala's story on the front page of every newspaper in the country. how is it that a 14-year-old girl can capture the hearts of a country like this? >> because, i think, she represents our dreams. she represents what pakistani majority of people stand for. >> reporter: and tonight, as young malala fights for her life, a nation of adults and children are going to bed praying for their new hero. muhammad lila, abc news, islamabad. >> and malala said she wanted to be a doctor. coming up, we'll tell you about a dangerous new hoax. s.w.a.t. teams, summoned by pranksters? raiding your home in the middle of the night.

>> i want -- give me $10,000 and a police cruiser up front or i'm going to kill the rest of the hostages in 30 minutes. >> who would do this? a new warning, coming up. [ male announcer ] if you suffer from heartburn 2 or more days a week, why use temporary treatments when you can prevent the acid that's causing it with prevacid24hr. with one pill prevacid24hr works at the source to prevent the acid that causes frequent heartburn all day and all night. and with new prevacid24hr perks, you can earn rewards from dinner deals to music downloads for purchasing prevacid24hr. prevent acid all day and all night for 24 hours with prevacid24hr. prevent acid all day and all night for 24 hours i've been a superintendent for 30 some years at many different park service units across the united states. the only time i've ever had a break is when i was on maternity leave.

i have retired from doing this one thing that i loved. now, i'm going to be able to have the time to explore something different. it's like another chapter. with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported.

signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer. it's real milk full of calcium and vitamin d. and tastes simply delicious. for those of us with lactose intolerance... lactaid® milk. the original 100% lactose-free milk. police around the country are warning tonight about a bizarre new hoax. pranksters send police s.w.a.t.

teams brandishing guns to your home in the middle of the night. neighbors have done it to get revenge, public officials are targets. so is justin bieber. here's abc's nick watt. >> reporter: a 911 call. a man waving a gun near justin bieber's l.a. home. police helicopters and cruisers dispatched immediately. but that call was a hoax, the latest in a rash of so called "swatting," bogus 911 calls for crimes so potentially dangerous they trigger a s.w.a.t. team response. >> i am armed. i do have a pistol and i swear to god i will kill these people. >> reporter: colorado springs police reacted to that with heavy weapons drawn. they found a 15-year-old kid just hanging out at home. >> i come out of my room, they got guns pointed at me. i'm like, oh, my god, i'm going to die. >> people primarily swat because they want to watch -- it's the thrill of it. it's a power thing. >> reporter: there are about 400 swatting incidents a year nationwide, costing on average

$10,000 each. they waste valuable police resources and raise fears of accidental shootings. two people have even reportedly suffered heart attacks. >> i shot my wife, so -- >> reporter: that was a swatter claiming to be erik erickson, an atlanta radio host. the s.w.a.t. team was dispatched to his door. erickson believes he was targeted because of his conservative politics. >> if it keeps up, someone is going to get killed. >> reporter: authorities are trying to fight back, cracking down harshly on those caught. teenager matthew weigman was recently sentenced to 11 years in jail. >> i want -- give me $10,000 and a police cruiser up front or i'm going to kill the rest of the hostages in 30 minutes. >> reporter: police reacted to that call in new jersey by firing tear gas into the house. there was no hostage situation. luckily, only the cat was home. nick watt, abc news, los angeles. and, coming up, a new planet

discovered in our intergalactic backyard. and do you know this? it is made of solid diamond. [ lisa ] my name's lisa, and chantix helped me quit. i honestly loved smoking, and i honestly didn't think i would ever quit. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. it put me at ease that you could smoke on the first week. [ male announcer ] some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, tell your doctor if you have new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack. use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams.

with chantix and with the support system it worked. it worked for me. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. [ male announcer ] how do you make 70,000 trades a second... ♪ reach one customer at a time? ♪ or help doctors turn billions of bytes of shared information... ♪ into a fifth anniversary of remission? ♪ whatever your business challenge, dell has the technology and services to help you solve it. but i'm still stubbed up. [ male announcer ] truth is, nyquil doesn't unstuff your nose. what?

[ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus liquid gels speeds relief to your worst cold symptoms plus has a decongestant for your stuffy nose. thanks. that's the cold truth! there was a quote that caught our eye tonight. something announced just today. the quote was "it's a permanent barbecue." that's what astronomers are saying about a new planet right in our backyard, spatially speaking, just 40 lightyears away.

and its surface is 3,900 degrees fahrenheit. and all that heat has turned the planet into a kind of giant diamond ring. beneath the surface is a nearly solid diamond, the whole thing, by the way, this solid diamond, is twice as big as earth. no word on how many carats that would be. and there is a person in the news. our friend, robin roberts, home tonight after 30 days in the hospital, receiving her bone marrow transplant. and over the next week, she's going to be getting stronger, building her immune system and breathing a lot of fresh air. >> it's overwhelming to see the sky. there is no place like home! >> reporter: she told us tonight she really missed seeing the hudson river outside her window because it reminds her so much of growing up in mississippi. she celebrated with a slice of apple pie and ice cream. and her new immune system is going to be building, so,

doctors tell her she needs to stay away from a lot of visitors and stay close to home, but everyone at home should send pictures cheering her on, because she's waving back tonight. and coming up, from pun punchline -- >> when things can't get any worse, it's biden time! >> your new vice president. >> to powerhouse. some of the funniest things we've ever seen at a vice presidential debate. new prilosec otc wildberry is the same frequent heartburn treatment as prilosec otc. . heartburn pill? because this is america. and we don't just make things you want, we make things you didn't even know you wanted. like a spoon fork. spray cheese. and jeans made out of sweatpants. so grab yourself some new prilosec otc wildberry. [ male announcer ] one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. satisfaction guaranteed or your money back.

your doctor will say get smart about your weight. that's why there's glucerna hunger smart shakes. they have carb steady, with carbs that digest slowly to help minimize blood sugar spikes. [ male announcer ] glucerna hunger smart. a smart way to help manage hunger and diabetes. begins with back pain and a choice. take advil, and maybe have to take up to four in a day. or take aleve, which can relieve pain all day with just two pills. good eye.

it's eb. want to give your family the very best in taste, freshness, and nutrition? it's eb. eggland's best. better taste. better nutrition. better eggs. [ male announcer ] the rhythm of life. [ whistle blowing ] where do you hear that beat? campbell's healthy request soup lets you hear it... in your heart. [ basketball bouncing ] heart healthy. great taste. mmm... [ male announcer ] sounds good. it's amazing what soup can do.

and finally tonight, the vice presidential debate is coming up, which means the comics will be out in force tomorrow. and we thought we would show you some of the funniest things from debates past. abc's jon karl. >> reporter: ah, the vice presidency. two v.p.'s ended up on mt. rushmore. more than a dozen eventually became president. but let's be candid. the office of vice president has usually been the rodney dangerfield of american politics. >> no respect. i don't get no respect at all. >> reporter: just look at the tv show "veep." >> did the president call? >> no. >> no. >> reporter: julia louis-dreyfus plays a v.p. with almost nothing to do.

it's not a new phenomenon. the very first veep dramatized on the hbo series "john adams" put it best. >> i am vice president, yes, and in this i am nothing, but i may be everything. >> reporter: over there years, there have been some sordid characters in the office. vice president tompkins, monroe's number two, was often so drunk presiding over the senate that congress refused to pay his full salary. vice president dan quayle had some real responsibilities but he may best be remembered for this ill-fated spelling lesson. >> potato. >> reporter: at the '92 v.p. debate, ross perot's running mate may have unwittingly spoken for all v.p.s. >> who am i? why am i here? >> reporter: more recently, vice presidents have become more important. dick cheney was so powerful that some actually thought he was pulling the strings in the oval office. >> i am as thrilled as is medically prudent for me to be to have been elected your new vice president.

>> reporter: but powerful or not, the v.p. is still good for a few laughs. >> you are a great vice president. >> well, you know, some people say i'd make a great president, all right? better than you even. >> reporter: jonathan karl, abc news, danville, kentucky. >> the debate, coming up, 9:00 p.m. eastern, 6:00 pacific. our own martha raddatz moderates. george stephanopoulos and it and the political team right here. we'll see you then.